


101 Ways to Almost Die (and the One Time that Almost Succeeded)

by CheshireInWonderland



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Code: Realize - Freeform, Love, One Shot, Rescue Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-04 12:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireInWonderland/pseuds/CheshireInWonderland
Summary: A general overview of the story between Cardia Beckford and Arsène Lupin, where Cardia believes that death will be her salvation until a certain Gentleman Thief changes her mind.





	101 Ways to Almost Die (and the One Time that Almost Succeeded)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, good day to you all. I wanted to try and write a short fic about one of the routes that can be taken in Code Realize. I'm fairly new to the game and anime, so my apologies if this story isn't everyone's cup of tea. I hope you enjoy :)

Cardia didn't know how quickly time had passed at her father's mansion. Whether she had been there for several weeks, months, years, or whether time itself had ended and she was the last survivor in this unforgiving world. At first, she had abandoned her father's wishes and had to try to blend with the outside world, become one with the strangers that inhabit the land. But after that woman, Elaine, had died because of her, because of this toxic doll she had become, she decided to become a recluse. Cardia despised herself, knowing that she did not belong in this world.

So she began to fantasise over the different ways to die.

Most humans (she believed) feared death, yet it became a far away dream for her. Any harm that she did to her body was somewhat healed by this bejewelled heart, lifelessly pulsating in her body. The blue as brilliant as a crystal ocean was both her saviour and her own personal hell. As far as she could remember, Cardia had been born with this heart, known in her father's research notes as horologrium. It had an endless life force, but emitted its own toxic substance (seemingly to protect Cardia not only from others but any damage she did to herself). As such, Cardia could not live the life she wanted and could not die the death she so desired.

After learning the lesson of limbo, she had slumped into the lone chair resting below the mansion's grounds, in a secluded chamber she had long forgotten its purpose. So she slept, the lavender haze of her own personal poison keeping her company as time slowly ticked by, waiting for the world to end. She dreamt day in and day out of all the marvellous ways that humans can die, hoping that it may become a reality for herself. Until one day, a battalion of men invaded the place she once called home. She didn't want to hurt them, yet made no move to stop them as they inched ever closer to her.

One soldier ignored his comrades' orders and roughly grabbed the young woman. It was safe to say that he would think twice before touching her again after that, as he watched his hand burn and ooze before his very eyes. In the end, the British Army led her away from the relic built to keep intruders away (or possibly to keep the monster inside, Cardia hadn't decided which statement was correct). A false hope of fire burned inside of her, that perhaps these men who were taking her away knew how to end her pitiful life.

That flame quickly flickered and was almost snuffed out by none other than Arsène Lupin, the gentleman thief. He and his comrades managed to "rescue" her from this legion she had been acquainted with for no more than one hour. Any loathing that she had for the gentleman thief, the man who had stolen her away from the people who may have been able to help her, fizzled out the moment she stared into his molten amber eyes, smouldering behind his platinum mask. He smiled seductively at her and claimed that he would steal her heart. Cardia wouldn't admit it in that moment, but he had already stolen her heart there and then.

As they had ventured to the place that could have been considered the home of Arsène and his comrades, Impey Barbicane and Victor "Fran" Frankenstein, Cardia realised that for the first time in a very long time, she did not want to die. Time flew by as they went on adventures, gaining new comrades in the process. And Cardia never wanted it to end. She wanted to keep having fun with these men who had become her friends, as well as Sisi, a corgi with a mechanical leg that resided with them.

But then, everything changed. Cardia was cornered by Finis, the young man claiming to be her brother. He was created just like she by their father, the catalysts to his plan Code: Realize, where their lives would be sacrificed for the terrorist group their father had become a part of. They had been created in his originally deceased children, so while they may have been perfection in eyes, neither Cardia nor Finis were truly human.

Lupin had been with Cardia when Finis had arrived. Taunted by his cruel words for her, Lupin defended his leading lady and was shot as punishment for doing so. Had it not been for Van Helsing assisting their escape with Queen Victoria and her first in command, Captain Leonhardt, they would have likely been captured and killed.

For the entire boat ride, Cardia remained silent as she had watched Lupin with unblinking eyes, worry taking over her. While known for a her shy, lady-like, almost robotic personality, she drowned out the noise of the others and focused on Lupin, the man who had defended her to the brink of death. Her teal eyes narrowed sadly as the guilt ate away at her, as she watched yet another person risk their life for her. She wanted nothing more than to hold him, to stroke his face skin to skin, to kiss him. She wanted to requite the love that she was certain that he, too, felt for her. Instead, all she could do was endure watching him suffer as she felt something break inside of her, knowing full well that it would shatter should he die.

This wouldn't be the last time that Lupin almost died because of her. Were it not for Saint stopping Finis from his blade touching Lupin, than he would have met the fate that was instead bestowed upon Finis. Their victory was short lived though once it became apparent that the Finis, whose life perished before their eyes, was not the "true" Finis. Time and time again, Lupin becomes battered and bruised. With each sharp exhale of breath of pain, Cardia's heart breaks further, the wounds hurting deeper than any physical pain could ever harm her. She wanted nothing more than to shut it out, to endure the pain that he was feeling in her stead.

But she trusted him when he said that he would steal her again. The Gentleman Thief who had been so determined to steal her heart had had his very own stolen before his very eyes, watching the beautiful homunculus be whisked away. At least, for a short while.

Lupin continued to work to rescue his beloved. With the help of his comrades and their connections, time flew by quickly before their plan came into motion. His dream of holding her that mirrored her own would soon become a reality.

It felt like a lifetime of waiting had happened before they saw each other again on the metal bridge. He didn't care that his body would whither away and die as he held her in his arms, finally confessing his love for her. One private moment between them where more was said to one another than had ever been spoken before as they relished each other's company. At this point, Cardia didn't care what happened as she finally got to see him again.

She was wrong. Finis broke her as she watched Lupin descend from the bridge, causing her to pass out from his demise. Despite the pain she felt, her brother's torture consumed her as her very heart was being removed from her body. In this moment, she had never wanted to die as strongly before as she did in that moment.

In her dreams, she pictured the man she had loved. As much as it burned her to think of him, she relished the time they had spent together. Those dreams that once more became a reality, where Cardia still believed she was dreaming when Lupin pulled her out of the aquamarine globe, which had reborn her father, a man who truly became mad with the power he had. For the brief amount of time he had it for, anyway.

In the end, they broke free of the aircraft, where Finis and their father perished. They held each other as the world burned around them, neither one caring that they may perish now that they could freely hold one another without a care in the world. And when they returned to the mansion that had become their home, they celebrated their love with the friends and makeshift family the couple had come to know in their time together. Confessing their love to each other, they did something that Cardia never thought they could ever do; seal their vows with a kiss. This was the beginning of the rest of their lives.


End file.
